Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

God’s searching after you!

“The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert.” Genesis 16v7

This verse from the Bible Reading chat for today says so much about the Father heart of God.

Hagar had come from Egypt and was a maidservant to Sarai. You would have thought that would have been wonderful, but she was mistreated by both Sarai and Sarai’s husband, Abram. So she fled into the desert. Hagar was a badly treated, immigrant maidservant: she was in a low place. The Bible often focuses on the line to Jesus, but here the focus is on Hagar – yet is not in the line of Jesus and in fact, her descendants would prove to be a persecutor of the Jesus line.

There is no logical reason for our Father God to reach out for her, but he does. He searches for her. It is just like Jesus explains in the parable of the lost sheep – where the assumption would be that he would focus on the 99, but he goes after the lost one. Hagar seemed insignificant, but to God she is special and precious.

Not all that the Lord says to Hagar is favourable, nor is it comfortable – he tells her to go back to her mistress and to submit to her – ouch! Nothing could have been harder for her! But this visit from God is life-changing, and she gives God a new name, “You are the God who sees me.” (v13)

Whatever you face today, may you know that it is the LORD who seeks you – yes, even you. May you know the visit of God, may you know that he is the One who sees the whole story – yes, all you have been through. May you be able to say today “You are the God who sees me!”

With love and blessing,

Roland